Our Views: New home for gaming

Our Views: New home for gaming

If it is unusual to have a profit-making enterprise in the heart of a major university’s campus, that connection is a constructive reality at LSU in Baton Rouge with the North American Test Center of Electronic Arts Inc.

The game company makes sports games, including the vastly popular “Madden NFL” games, and the EA center at LSU combines college students’ enthusiasm for gaming with the economic potential of the game industry.

The LSU center houses not only the game company but a center for computer technology for the university.

Obviously, not every company promises this kind of synergy. Space on the main campus is precious, and there are not likely to be many other such projects.

Still, we applaud the university and Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration for backing this project. Some good news is that there are some 400 full- or part-time employees, almost double the initial expectations for the state. Payroll growth is commensurate.

“EA has underpromised and overdelivered,” the governor said.

We like that combination.

We also like the growing information technology sector in Louisiana that is attracting new jobs to New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. There is potential for much more growth here, including in the fast-growing gaming sector, to provide more jobs for Louisiana graduates.